In 2007, Tom was heading home after another date that he knew wasn't going to lead anywhere he wanted to go. He was crossing the I-5 bridge heading south to Beaverton when he remembered his dream of traveling through Europe. He had often imagined sharing the adventure with the love of his life. The reality was, though, that she had not shown up yet, and he had no idea when she would.
"What am I waiting for?" he wondered.
Not long after, he booked a one-way ticket to Dublin, Ireland. In September 2007, he began a nearly 4-month backpacking adventure that would lead him to 9 countries, countless memorable encounters, and the fulfillment of several bucket-list entries. He blogged about his travels throughout, and you can read them below.